Boat apparatus



l- A n F P 0 R T F c BOAT APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 13, 1968FIGI INVENTORS CARL E TROPF BY MARTIN J. TROPF ATTORNEY 1970 c. F. TROPFETAL 3543,31

- BOAT APPARATUS Filed Feb. 13, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS CARL F-TROPF MARTIN J- TROPF ATTORNEY Dec. 1, 1970 c, TRQPF ETAL 3,543,31$

BOAT APPARATUS Filed Feb. 13, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS CARL F.TROPF MARTIN J. TROPF ATTORNEY Dec. 1, 1970 c, TRQPF ETAL 3543,14

BOAT APPARATUS Filed Feb. 13 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS CARL F-TROPF MARTIN J. TROPF ATTORNEY 3,543,314 BOAT APPARATUS Carl F. Tropf,23028 Cushing, East Detroit, Mich.

48205, and Martin J. Tropf, 42198 Utica, Sterling Heights, Mich. 48087Filed Feb. 13, 1968, Ser. No. 705,142 Int. Cl. 1363b 3/00, 1/18 U.S. Cl.9-6 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to aninboard powered pleasure craft. The superstructure is designed to carryone or two persons. The hull has a keel oriented tunnel and otherconfigurations to promote stability and prevent ruddering. Twin coactingrudders are provided for stability in turning. A dead man safety controlis provided to shut off the engine when driver is no longer excercisingcontrol over the craft. The steering column and wheel translate forwardaway from the driver when the craft is suddenly stopped ordeaccelerated.

This invention relates generally to inboard powered pleasure boats. Moreparticularly, this invention relates a boat having integral hull anddeck molded out of a thin shell of plastic-like material, powered by amotor and propeller mounted aft of passenger seats, and having a tunnelat its keel maintaining a planing attitude of the craft when cruising.

Pleasure craft have been designed in the past to be made of fiberglassand modifying normally outboard engines for inboard use. A number ofdifficulties have been experienced in their use. Among them, has beenthe tendency for such craft to pitch forward at cruising speed, causingthe bow of the craft to submarine and to interfere withetfectiveplaning. It is an object of the present invention to prevent suchsubmarining.

It is another object of this invention to provide an inboard poweredpleasure craft having a hull made of a thin plastic-like material withmeans adaptable for carrying more than one person.

It is another object of this invention to provide small inboard poweredpleasure craft with improved dynamic navagational characteristics athigher speeds.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a small inboardpowered pleasure craft having a hull made of thin-walled plastic-likematerial at lower cost and less complicated manufacturing.

It is another object of this invention to provide a small inboardpowered pleasure craft having a hull of thinwalled plastic-like materialwith simplified and improved means of steering.

These and other objects of this invention are accomplished by providinga small inboard powered pleasure craft with an integral hull and deckconstruction molded out of a thin-walled plastic-like material. A tunnelis provided at the keel of the boat extending from the bow to the stern.A gasoline engine and propeller are mounted aft of seats for passengers.Seats are molded into the deck, in a tandem array extendinglongitudinally. Outboard of the aforementioned tunnel, the bottom of thehull of the boat is either flat or has very gentle curves.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following descriptionand appended claims, referring to the accompanying drawings forming apart of this specification.

ON THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a three dimensional projectional view port andaft of the preferred embodiment of this invention; FIG. 2 is a top viewof the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

States Patent FIG. 3 is a transverse section of the apparatus shown inFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a diagram of the steering mechanism used in the preferredembodiment of this invention;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the steering wheelused in the preferred embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 9 is a transverse view of the apparatus shown in the FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 8.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited in its application to thedetails in construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in theaccompanying drawings since the invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also,it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employedherein are for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

AS SHOWN ON THE DRAWINGS In the preferred embodiment of this invention,an integral hull and super structure 10 is molded out of a plasticlikematerial. A preferred material is a hard acrylonitrilebutadiene styreneplastic such as Royalite made by Uniroyal, Inc. of Detroit, Mich. Thehull and super structure have thin walls. The outer wall 12 has arelatively hard smooth finish. In an alternative embodiment, anintermediate portion 14 of the wall has a softer solidified foamappearance.

The hull portion 16 of the integral structure 10 has an upwarddepression on its bottom forming a tunnel 18 extending aft of the bow 20to forward of the stern 22 of the boat at the center 24 of its keel. Thetunnel has a rounded semi-cylindrical shape that will prevent ruddering.The top 19 is perpendicular to the sides 17 of the tunnel, meeting themwith interior fillets of small arc. Outward, port and starboard, of thetunnel 18, the bottom surfaces 26 of the boat are either flat or havevery gentle curves. These surfaces extend to points 21 outboard of thelongitudinal center of the craft at amidships. These points 21 are focusof two small areas on which the craft is suspended when planing,together with a third area formed by the stern.

The deck portion 30 of the integral structure 10 has a substantiallyflat nose portion 32 at the bow of the craft. Proceeding aft from thebow at the longitudinal center 34 of the craft, the deck rises into ahousing 36. Forward of amidships, the housing 36 sharply declines in asubstantially flat vertical surface 38 Immediately after the housing 36,passenger seating depressions 40 and 42 are arranged in a tandemlongitudinally extending direction symmetrically disposed around thelongitudinal center of the craft. These depressions are designed toaccommodate one or two persons.

After seating depression 42, the deck rises, about its longitudinalcenter, in a sharply vertically inclined substantially flat surface 44.After the surface 44, near its longitudinal center, the afterdeck taperstowards the longitudinal center forming curved sides of the housing 46.After the tapering of this housing, the stern of the boat is formed in asubstantially vertically extending substantially flat surface 48.

Forward and aft of seating depressions 40 and 42, air vents 54 and 56are provided as atmospheric conduits to the engine mounted inboard ofthe craft.

An inboard engine 58 is mounted after amidships, forward of stern, andabove the aforementioned tunnel at the keel of the boat. It is containedinboard of the craft within the aforementioned housing aft of seatingdepressions and 42. The engine 58 is mounted on a square shaped risefixed to the top of the tunnel. In a preferred embodiment of thisinvention, an outboard motor is adapted for inboard use in this craft byadapting a plate 62 to fit over the square shaped housing and providinga conduit 64 for conducting water to the engine for cooling purposes.

A gas tank 66 is located under the forward housing. In the preferredembodiment of this invention, a steering column 70 is provided. It has acylindrical portion 72. A keyway 74 is provided on the column 70. Acylindrical bushing 76 is fixed to the aforementioned forward housing onthe deck. The steering column 70 is free to rotate and translate throughthis bushing. A nut 78 is fixed to the forward end of the steeringcolumn 70 to limit the aft translation of the steering column. A disc 80is slotted to fit on the keyway 74. The steering column can slidethrough an aperture in the disc 80.

The disc or pulley 80 is mounted coaxially with the steering column 70.A cable 82 is wound on a pulley 80 and connected to a steering pin 84 towhich twin rudders 86 are fixed. The steering pin 84 is journaled to the1ongitudinal center of the craft near its stern. When the cabletranslates, the steering pin is rotated, causing the rudders to rotateabout the center of journaling of the steering pin. The cable istranslated in response to rotation of the disc 80.

A steering wheel 90 is fixed to the steering column 70. In the preferredembodiment, the wheel is a semi-circular member having outboardlyextending handles and located immediately after the forward housing ofthe boat. One of the handles 92 is locatable on an axis perpendicular tothe axis of the steering column 70'. A link 94 is fixedly attached tothis handle. A spring 86 urges this handle in a counterclockwisedirection. Where the handle is rotated in a clockwise direction, a cable98 is translated. This cable opens the throttle of the engine. When thehandle is released, the spring urges the handle back in acounterclockwise direction, thereby moving the link and consequentlyclosing the throttle. In this manner, a dead man control is providedwhereby the engine is stopped when control is no longer exercised by thedriver of the boat.

By appropriate location of the nut 78, the wheel can be comfortablylocated for operation of the craft with one or two passengers, andeasily adapted for passengers of different size.

From the foregoing description, it can be appreciated that a smallinboard powered pleasure craft is provided with a number of veryadvantageous features. More than one passenger can be accommodatedcomfortably. By using a plastic, time, cost and complication inmanufacture can be reduced compared with making such craft out offiberglass material. The provision of the tunnel at ,the kneel and ofthe gentle slopes and curves and flat sprfaces of the outboard portionsof the bow of the hull, improve the planing characteristics of suchcraft at a cruising speed. Also, the mounting of engine and propellerafter amidships improves the balance and stability of the craft andfacilitates planing at cruising speeds. A steering mechanism has beenprovided which is simple to manufacture and maintain, and which improvessafety in operation.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the integral hull andsuperstructure are molded out of a poly urethane material such asRoyalite, by first heating the material, pressing it onto a mold, andsubsequently cooling the formed material.

We claim:

1. In a pleasure boat having an inboard mounted engine, the improvementscomprising:

4 an integral structure hull and super structure in the form of athin-walled envelope of plastic-like materials; an upward depression inthe bottom of the hull formed into the shape of tunnel extending fromthe bow past midship of the boat at the longitudinal center of the boat;

said engine being mounted aft of midship;

the bottom surfaces of the aforesaid hull outboard of said longitudinalcenter and forward of midship project further downward than bottomsurfaces of the aforesaid hull outboard of said longitudinal center aftof midship;

the aft portion of said forward bottom portions forming walls havingsubstantially flat faces at acute angles in excess of 45 degrees withthe longitudinal center of the boat;

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bottom surfaces of the aforesaidhull outboard of said longitudinal center and forward of midship aresubstantially fiat and converge to points projecting downwardly in thewater at the outboard extremities of said hull near midship providingareas forward of the stern converging towards points for supporting theboard when planing.

3. The apparatus in claim 1 wherein said integral structure is made ofacrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a propeller driving said boat ismounted aft of midship.

5. The apparatus in claim 1 wherein a propeller driving said boat ismounted aft of midship and forward of the stern.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a propeller driving said boat ispowered by a shaft extending from said engine;

said shaft extending substantially vertically downwardly.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 and means steering said craft comprising:

a pin journaled near the stern of the craft;

a ruddler fixed to the pin;

a cable fixed to the pin;

said cable wound on a disc;

said disc coaxially fixed to a steering column; and

said steering column mounted forward of midship.

8. The apparatus in claim 1 and steering means comprising a column fixedto freedom of translation fore and aft;

and means limiting the fore and aft displacement of said steeringcolumn.

9. The apparatus is claim 1 wherein said tunnel extends aft of midshipair-free when boat is afloat and is rounded to prevent ruddering.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 and steering means comprising a columnconfined to freedom of translation fore and aft;

means limiting the aft displacement of said steering column; and

means for rotating said steering column comprising:

a semi-circular member fixed on the aft end of said steering column andhaving handles extending outboardly from said steering column;

one of said handles journaled to rotate on an axis perpendicular to theaxis of said steering column;

and means responsive to the rotation of said rotatable handleconditioning said engine for op eration.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 and means of steering said boat comprising:

a pair of pins journaled near the stern of the boat and outboard of thecenter line thereof;

a rudder fixed to each pin;

a cable fixed to the pins;

said cable wound on a disc;

said cable coaxially fixed to a steering column; and

said steering column mounted forward midship.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 and steering means comprising:

a column confined to freedom of translation fore and aft; means limitingthe aft displacement of said steering column; means for rotating saidsteering column comprising a semicircular member fixed on the aft end ofsaid steering column and having handles extending outboardly from saidsteering column; one of said handles jour'naled to rotate on an axisprependicular to the axis of said steering column; means responsive tothe rotation of said rotatable handle conditioning said engine foroperation; means resiliently urging said means for conditioning saidengine for operation to deactuation; said deactuation urging means beingrendered inoperable responsive to the rotation of said rotatable handle.I 13. The apparatus of claim 1 and means limiting the movement of thecenter of gravity of said boat when loaded by a passenger in addition toa drive whereby the longitudinal displacement of the center of gravityof said boat is limited to less than 10% of the length of said boat.

TRYGVE M. BLIX, Primary Examiner 14. The apparatus of claim '1 and meansmaintaining a rudder fully submerged in any maneuver of the boat inWater.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,681,342 8/1928 Hickman IM -66.51,712,281 5/ 1929 Royer 114--66.5 1,881,107 11/1932 Batt 114-6652,909,140 10/ 1959 Kiekhaefer 1466.5 3,080,953 3/1963 Edgemond 114160 X3,147,730 9/1964 Specht 114-163 3,283,166 11/1966 Stift 18099 X FOREIGNPATENTS 1,197,777 7/1965 Germany.

OTHER REFERENCES The Plastics Manual, 1966, pp. 6 and 8.

US. Cl. X.R.

